Jacqui Cooper

Jacqui Cooper has represented Australia in the sport of Aerial Skiing for 20 years. When Jacqui competed in Vancouver in February 2010 she became the 1st Australian Woman in history (Summer or Winter Olympics) to represent Australia at 5 Games.

Key Points

Jacqui Cooper has represented Australia in the sport of Aerial Skiing for 20 years.

In a very long and decorated career she has competed in 139 World Cup Events, 9 World Championships and been selected to 5 Winter Olympic Teams.

When Jacqui competed in Vancouver in February 2010 she became the 1st Australian Woman in history (Summer or Winter Olympics) to represent Australia at 5 Games.

Her record 5 world titles, 39 World Cup medals, 24 World Cup wins and 3 major World Championship medals has left Jacqui as the greatest Aerial skier of all time (man or woman); an achievement that will go unbeaten for decades.

Jacqui is also La Trobe Financial’ s Company Ambassador

A truly remarkable Australian sports person and great speaker.

Biography

Jacqui Cooper has represented Australia in the sport of Aerial Skiing for 20 years. Her career started in 1989 at Mt Buller when she was recruited by Geoff Lipshut (CEO of the OWIA) to join the Techne Team. Within 3 years she was already representing her country at the World Championships in Lake Placid New York; by 1994 she competed at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. In 1999, just 10 years after starting her sport she became a World Champion; the next 10 years would see her dominate and revolutionize her sport.

In a very long and decorated career she has competed in 139 World Cup Events, 9 World Championships and been selected to 5 Winter Olympic Teams. When Jacqui competed in Vancouver in February 2010 she became the 1st Australian Woman in history (Summer or Winter Olympics) to represent Australia at 5 Games.

Her record 5 world titles, 39 World Cup medals, 24 World Cup wins and 3 major World Championship medals has left Jacqui as the greatest Aerial skier of all time (man or woman); an achievement that will go unbeaten for decades.

Her sport is unforgiving; she has had knee, elbow, shoulder and hip reconstructions. In 2001 she broke her back in an attempt to win a record 3rd World Title; she went on and won it. In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics she injured her knee and broke her leg just 2-days before the Olympic competition ending years of dreaming, willing and wanting.

This year, Jacqui competed in Vancouver after a year of intense hip and knee rehabilitation; she shocked doctors and surgeons by her will, inner strength and courage to make a brave attempt to be competitive at those games. She spent most of the months leading into the Olympics in a wheel chair, learning to walk again, and gaining confidence in a sport that is brutal and cruel. She stunned her rivals, coaches, and team mates when she came 5th; her best Olympic result in the 20 years.

"Jacqui Cooper is a true legend. She did not win a medal but her performance in finishing 5th in the women’s freestyle aerial event epitomised all that is so great about Australian sport." Matt Miller, CEO Australian Sports Commission

In between training and competing in events Jacqui devotes much of her time to various Sporting Committees around the world making sure she can be a voice for her peers at a National and International level . Over 2 decades she has spent time on the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Board, the AOC Athlete's Commission (Deputy Chair), Ski and Snowboard Australia Board, the Australian Institute of Sport Athletes Commission, the International Ski Federation (FIS) Athletes Committee, the FIS Freestyle Athletes Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Athlete's Committee and the WADA education committee.

In 2001 the AOC involved Jacqui in their national Drug Education program as a key presenter, her interest, knowledge and passion for clean sport made her a wonderful asset to that program. She lectured kids in schools, state sporting institutes, regional sporting academies, national federations, international athletes competing at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival and athletes at Australian Institute of Sport.

Jacqui's passion is education; the education to children and teenagers about living a healthy lifestyle, making smart choices, nutrition, being young role models, dreaming BIG, being active and goal setting. Jacqui speaks to Primary, Secondary, and Universities/TAFE students . She has also travelled to remote aboriginal communities as far as Darwin and beyond spending time promoting all things healthy with a heavy focus on "SAY NO" to alcohol, petrol sniffing and smoking.

Over 20 years Jacqui has won many awards in recognition for her achievements in sport and for her involvement in the community. During her career she was honoured as the Victorian "Young Australian of the Year" for Sport, Victorian Sports Woman of the year and Ski and Snowboard Athlete of the year. Her most recent award was the "Governor's Award", presented to her at the Vic Sports Awards in 2008 for being a role model, a champion, and a woman who is successful in sport and life.

Jacqui's story is one of self belief, passion, triumph, tragedy and the ability to overcome adversity.

2008 Australian Snow Sports Athlete of the Year "Governor's Award" Victorian Female of the Year Victorian Institute of Sport "Spirit Award" Freestyle Skier of the Year2007 Special Achievement Australian Snow Sports Award2001 Special Achievement Australian Snow Sports Award2000 Australian Skier of the Year2000 Australian Snow Sports Athlete of the Year Victorian Sports Woman of the Year Freestyle Skier of the Year1999 Victorian (Sport) - Young Australian of the Year Australian Snow Sports Athlete of the Year Freestyle Skier of the Year1998 Freestyle Skier of the Year Special Achievement Australian Snow Sports Award1997 Special Achievement Australian Snow Sports Award

Topics

Olympic speaker

Testimonials

We asked Jacqui to tailor a 45 min presentation about Japan and deliver it at a travel expo about Japan, highlighting culture, adventure, the four seasons, sport and people. Jacqui delivered a presentation that inspired tour operators to want to leave the venue and get on a plane – destination Japan. Her delivery was fun, informative, relaxed, specific and engaging. We knew that Jacqui speaks regularly with a “set presentation”; she proved herself as a versatile speaker that can wow an audience with any topic or theme.

Jacqui was so generous with her time, energy and effort; she helped us set up the event, she stayed to speak to the audience and was happy to have photos taken with anyone who asked. She also took the time to walk through the expo before leaving to ensure everyone had had the opportunity to meet with her. If you were looking for a “one of a kind” presentation that’s tailored just for you, then Jacqui’s name should be at the top of your list.Executive DirectorJapan National Tourism Organization

I just wanted to send a short note of appreciation for the outstanding session you ran at our Harcourts M1 Conference last week. I’ve been to many conferences and listened to over 200 speakers and I believe your session was the best I have ever heard. Your delivery was fantastic, the way you engaged with our people was amazing but I must say the level of dedication and discipline you have shown throughout your life to achieve your goals was by far the most impressive thing for me. If our people take 10% of the discipline you have shown they will all be superstars. Once again thank you for your time and more importantly thank you for your value…. You’re amazing.Business OwnerHarcourts Real Estate

Jacqui shared with over 500 attendees some of her own life experiences and insightful observations when talking on the Conference theme of change. Jacqui’s demonstrated great ability to engage with a diverse audience was clearly evident by the reactions of the audience during her 40-minute presentation. She encouraged all in attendance to look at ways to reach certain goals and do good to others.

Jacqui was a pleasure to work with during the planning process for the Conference. Her professionalism and planning suggest she was very well prepared for the Conference and her informal conversations before and after the presentation were well received. All in attendance valued her message which was delivered with the right balance of humour, enthusiasm and instructional guidance. Jacqui greatly enhanced the experience of all who attended the Conference. I would thoroughly endorse Jacqui as a key note speaker for any gathering.Rotary ClubGreensborough Central

When we booked Jacqui we expected an interesting story given what we knew of her history, but she far exceeded our expectations. Her mix of enthusiasm, passion, commitment and never give up attitude is both intriguing and infectious. Our collective group were in awe of her achievements and the road which brought her to the pinnacle of her career. We have booked many guest speakers over the years from varying backgrounds and it is fair to say Jacqui Cooper is one that will be remembered for a long time to come. Jacqui not only went above and beyond what was required of her during her booked speaking slot she took time to speak with anyone interested (and there was a lot!) afterwards. Jacqui is an absolute professional who we would highly recommend to anyone looking to drive a strong message surrounding leadership, culture, dedication and focus.New Holland Agriculture

Leadership Victoria has engaged Jacqui 10 times over the years. particularly where we are wanting to emphasise the importance of vision, determination and resilience; we know that Jacqui, through sharing her life story, will take our program groups right to the heart of these important leadership traits. Jacqui leaves our groups feeling inspired and determined to be there very best. Manager Leadership Development Leadership Victoria

Jacqui presented to Domain's Women in Property Development lunch in February and was nothing short of sensational. She inspired the crowd through her incredible stories of will power, commitment and pushing through adversity..

Jacqui used her experiences with sport as an example of striving to the best you can be no matter what your profession or passion. This was perfectly relatable to the corporate audience attending and we received incredibly positive feedback from the day thanks to Jacqui.Marketing DirectorNational Trade Marketing Director: Developers

Jacqui had us captivated from the moment she walked into the room. Her presentation to the Sales Team was delivered with enormous energy, enthusiasm and humour, and made us feel that ordinary people could truly achieve extraordinary things. Jacqui received a rare standing ovation from our group, who have commented months down the track that her message of determination and perseverance continues to inspire them daily.Marketing DirectorAlsco

It is always a daunting task to source a guest speaker for an event. After sorting through a plethora of options, we took the plunge with Jacqui after receiving outstanding feedback on her presentation. Jacqui far exceeded what we could have hoped for in a guest speaker – our team and clients were captivated for hours at our lunch time events. We have booked Jacqui 10 times now; we don’t think we could find a better speaker for our events, so we just re-book her. Her presentation takes you on a uplifting journey, peppered with her wonderful down to earth humour. To say that Jacqui is great is an understatement, she is truly inspirational.Marketing ExecutiveAccountancy Insurance

We invited Jacqui Cooper to be our key note speaker on the last day of our 3 day National Sales conference themed “Driving Success”, so not any easy speaking spot. From the first moment of talking to Jacqui I know she would be perfect for our conference her enthusiasm, passion, and energy came through the phone and I could tell that her story of success would set the right tone.

Come the day of the conference, Jacqui immediately captured the entire audiences full attention and she shared a remarkable story highlighting what is capable in life with the right planning, a lot of tenacity and a laser focus on goal setting. This story was peppered with some very funny anecdotes in a very down to earth and relatable style that meant the whole audience were enthralled and engaged, so much so, she received a standing ovation!

After Jacqui’s Key note speech we followed up with some goal setting and I believe that everyone’s personal and work goals were set that much higher by taking some inspiration from Jacqui’s remarkable story. After the conference the overwhelming feedback was that Jacqui’s speech was the highlight of our conference and many people took personal inspiration and motivation from her story and storytelling manner.

Thank you Jacqui for sharing your phenomenal story and best of luck in your new business ventures.Solution Design and Marketing Manager

As one of our key note speakers, Jacqui had the best reviews of the conference. She had everyone engaged, and brought an awesome energy to the room. At the beginning of the day Jacqui promised me to have people cartwheeling out of the room – and she certainly delivered on that!Stockdale and Leggo Corporate

As one of our key note speakers, Jacqui had the best reviews of the conference. She had everyone engaged, and brought an awesome energy to the room. At the beginning of the day Jacqui promised me to have people cartwheeling out of the room – and she certainly delivered on that! Stockdale & Leggo Corporate

Jacqui was a fantastic suggestion. She was absolutely fit for purpose for our event. I think the girls really enjoyed hearing her story and it related back easily into our topic of empowerment through education Raylene VaroneSoroptimist International

Jacqui Cooper has a great story to tell, and she tells it with great humility, humour and “down to earthedness” that is rare amongst those high profile successful sportspeople that tread the speaking circuit. We found Jacqui to be totally professional in her dealings with us as she prepared a presentation that was absolutely spot-on for the purpose we invited her for – she does her homework and really listened to what we were after. The response from our leadership group who were fortunate enough to be there for Jacqui’s session quite surpasses any that we’ve had before – they found her to be engaging and utterly approachable, and her story absolutely struck a chord that was totally aligned to the work we had them engaged in. We have already booked Jacqui to come and do more work with us, and I have no hesitation in recommending her to you if you’re after a really authentic, entertaining and professional speaker with a great message that shows people they can do whatever they set their minds to !Willem PruysGeneral Manager - Human ResourcesBunnings Group LimitedWe recently held our annual business unit conference at the Melbourne Intercontinental Hotel and invited Jacqui along to talk to the group. We chose Jacqui because she has had a long and successful career and has overcome adversity to get to the top of her sport. To say that we were impressed with Jacqui’s speech would be an understatement. Jacqui held us captivated for almost an hour as she told us about her childhood memories of becoming an international skilling champion, her rapid rise to success and how she overcame adversity, including several serious injuries, through sheer skill, persistence and ambition to get to the top of her sport. As a motivational speaker Jacqui was simply incredibly inspiring and I would recommend her to anybody. Thanks Jacqui for sharing your amazing story with us and I hope you have the opportunity to tell it to many others.Mark MatthewsNational Manager - Property and FacilitiesAGL Energy Ltd.Jacqui Cooper is an inspiration! Our delegates were in awe of her amazing stry – told with humour and enormous energy. Jacqui’s enthusiasm is infectious and her ability to motivate and connect with her audience is remarkable.Matt EnglundHead of Dealer GroupsBT Financial Group It has helped us to keep driving forward and overcoming challenges when things appear to get jammed in our business. She delivered such a powerful message to the teamiVsion - National Sales Manager

“Jacqui was fantastic. I knew she was a wonderful athlete but I never knew the extent of her courage and strength. I loved listening to Jacqui and hearing about her story. Very inspiring.”Pricewaterhouse Coopers - Professional services firm

“La Trobe Financial is proud to have been Jacqui’s lead Sponsor for the past three (3) years as she embodies all the attributes and hallmarks of wonderful Australian sportswomen and International Champion. She is modest, warm and sincere and has an unparalleled ability to communicate her message to a whole host of age groups that we employ from 18 to 50+. This five time Olympian is one in a billion, and an opportunity to hear from her real life injury come backs time and time again, as well as her World cup achievements should never be missed.”Greg O’Neill CEO La Trobe Financial Corporation

“I have heard Jacqui speak on about 3 occasions and each time I have been inspired by her story. I have witnessed the effect on the audience, she has them spellbound as she talks about her achievements and the incredible challenges she has overcome with injuries etc. yet still bounce back to the top. The most important take away for me is that you can reach incredible heights and then incredible lows but if you want something enough, and if you are passionate enough and single minded enough to pursue it – it will happen!”Human Resources, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Australia/New Zealand

“Jacqui gave an excellent series of talks to our staff. She inspired, brought laughter, and above all, helped all who attend feel that achieving more was within their reach. I would happily recommend Jacqui to anyone organising an event or looking to inspire a team – she is funny, warm, and will connect across a diverse audience. And her energy levels have to be seen to be believed!”GE Capital

"What can I say about this inspiring passionate woman. Her passion and determination were evident from an early age with an unbelievable amount of self-belief.It was this self belief that saw Jacqui achieve 24 Championship Titles, represent Australia at 5 Olympic Games and be the best in the world at Aerial Skiing. A devoted career spanning 20 years.Any company wanting a speaker that covers leadership, motivation and passion please have Jacqui Cooper on your stage. You will not be disappointed. It is absolutely inspiring.”Becker Mining Australia

"Jacqui Cooper stepped in at the last minute to be the key note speaker for our annual conference. With slightly more than 48 hours to prepare, Jacqui proved just what a champion she is. Her presentation did what many other champion sports personalities fail to do. She very clearly and concisely married together what is required to be successful in sport with what is necessary to be successful in business.Jacqui's life story and the examples she gave demonstrated that to be a champion in sport and in business you have to have a plan, both short and long term. You have to have persistence. You must be dedicated. You must train both the mind and the body and most important of all you must be prepared to go beyond what is regarded as the norm.I have no hesitation in recommending Jacqui Cooper to any company or organization looking for a key note speaker who can marry together what is required to be successful in sport and business whilst at the same time be very professional and very entertaining."Insight Insurance Brokers Association Inc.

It is one thing to have a great story to tell but an entirely different matter when it comes to having the ability to tell the story. Jacqui Cooper ticks both boxes; and they are both very big ticks!Inspiring, passionate, humorous and just a little bit crazy are just some of the words to describe what Jacqui Cooper, a true sporting living legend, brought to the table at our state-wide conference. And if the story telling, supported by an action packed audio visual presentation was not enough, then it was Jacqui’s personable style and warm and engaging personality that made this experience for every delegate in attendance extra special. Well prepared and exceptionally easy to work with we were fortunate to experience a world championship performance. Thank you Jacqui!Daryl WilsonVictorian State Practitioner NetworkEconomic Development Australia“Jacqui’s life story is one of self-belief, passion, and the ability to overcome adversity. Most of our group knew of Jacqui’s sporting triumphs, but none of us knew of the story behind this remarkable Australian. Life is full of opportunities, chances, half chances, successes, and failures. Jacqui demonstrates perfectly how one is best measured by how they react and deal with such challenges.Jacqui brings to her presentation all the qualities that made her a world champion. The passion, the raw ability, and that touch of craziness all come through in what is both an inspiring and entertaining presentation. This is more than a presentation, it is a life force experience.”Greg Halliday - Manager; Finance & TaxTelstra Super

“Jacqui Cooper is one of the most enthusiastic key note speakers I have heard to date. Her story engaged, motivated and inspired our audience of 200+ Flight Centre Ltd employees. Jacqui’s self belief, commitment, perseverance and work ethic (with a clear action plan) can be applied to anyone both personally and professionally. An Aussie success who delighted our crowd with her passion and energetic message..... definitely the high-light of our conference.”James Kavanagh - General Manager CorporateFlight Centre Ltd

“Jacqui Cooper was the most inspirational speaker I have heard from.I found Jacqui's presentation incredibly moving, inspirational and at the same time humorous and I don't think I have ever understood the capacity of a human for resilience, persistence or drive until I met Jacqui.The pace was breathtaking but she kept us on the edge of our seats for the entire time dying to find out what more could possibly happen to her. Her presentational skills are second to none and I was moved by her story. Jacqui was well received at our conference and a standing ovation was the ultimate gift of a speaker – she received it with pride from our 81 attendees. It was amazing to watch.Certainly true to say that persistence pays off tenfold and more.........We will definitely utilise her for future conferences.”Megan Skwierawski - Executive Assistant Australian Unity

"Jacqui was engaging, energetic and dynamic with her colourful storytelling and unique presentation on passion, motivation, overcoming adversity and how to stay focused on your goals". - Angela Stubbs, Kingston City Council